What You Should Look For in a Blu-ray Player

Whether you’re looking to upgrade your current Blu-ray player or purchase your very first one, there are several features you should consider when determining which model to buy. With technology growing by leaps and bounds, the features that can be found on Blu-ray players today are much more advanced than even a few years ago. While price is a major factor in any purchase, you should focus more on the features of each player so you won’t have to upgrade too soon.

Blu-ray discs provide high-definition content that is best viewed on a high-definition television that offers a resolution of 1080p. You can connect a Blu-ray player to any television that has a composite video or HDMI input, but if it is not a 1080p HD TV, you won’t be taking advantage of the Blu-ray’s high-definition content. Before making your purchase, consider these Blu-ray player features. You may find some that you don’t absolutely need, while others may turn out to be a must for you.

Internet Connectivity

Several Web sites, including Netflix, Amazon.com, Hulu and Blockbuster, offer the ability to stream content to a computer or television. If you’d like to be able to view online content on your television, you need a piece of equipment capable of connecting to the Internet and streaming the content. There are several types of devices capable of streaming content, including gaming consoles, streaming devices and Blu-ray players. Any of these devices will allow you to stream movies and other content from the Internet, but buying a Blu-ray player with Internet means one less piece of equipment and more money in your pocket. When shopping for Internet-ready Blu-ray players, you’ll find three different varieties: built-in WiFi, WiFi ready or Ethernet. Units with built-in WiFi can pick up the signal from your existing wireless network, which means you don’t need to connect any additional cables. WiFi ready Blu-ray players require an adaptor to connect to your wireless network. These adaptors can cost $80 or more, so be sure to factor this cost in when comparing prices. For Ethernet models, you’ll need to connect an Ethernet cable to your Blu-ray player to stream content.

BD-Live

BD-Live is a newer feature offered on some Blu-ray discs that allows users to stream additional multimedia from the Internet or access interactive Internet content. If accessing this type of content is important to you, you will need a Blu-ray player that offers this feature. If you opt for a model that does not offer BD-Live content, you’ll still be able to watch the movie, you just won’t be able to access the Internet extras. Be sure to read each model’s specifications carefully because there are BD-Live and “BD-Live ready” Blu-ray players. Those that are BD-Live ready require additional memory, either via a USB memory stick or hard drive, to access the additional content.

3-D

Although 3-D television for the home are relatively new and still quite expensive, you should give some thought to 3-D media if you’re purchasing a Blu-ray player in the near future. In order to watch 3-D movies, you need a 3-D television and a 3-D Blu-ray player. Even if you don’t plan to upgrade to a 3-D TV anytime soon, you may want to choose a 3-D Blu-ray player now so you don’t have to buy another one when you upgrade your television in the future.

I hope this information helps you shop for the Blue-ray player that’s right for you!

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